Department of Revenue News Release

JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri Department of Revenue and the Office of Administration have canceled the state contract with Julie A. Vyrostek, the agent of the Gallatin License Office.  The office (located at 400 N. Main St., Suite 1) will be closed until a new agent is named.  But customers in the City of Gallatin and Daviess County area have nearby offices in which they can conduct driver license, titling and other motor vehicle transactions.

"The agent breached the provisions of the state's contract, and the state exercised its option of canceling the contract with her," said Alana M. Barragán-Scott, director of the Missouri Department of Revenue. "I know this action may inconvenience some customers of the Gallatin office.  But it is vital that agents comply with the conditions of the state contract and for customers to have confidence that their transactions are being handled properly."

The Department reviewed the records of the Gallatin office and discovered that over the past several months there had been violations of the contract's provision against "lapping."  Lapping is the personal use of state money collected by an office that results in the office covering one day's transactions with receipts from a later day.  When lapping occurs, a license office customer may believe that his or her transaction has been completed, when in reality it has not, and several days or weeks may pass before the transaction is officially recorded.

"The state contract that every agent signs specifically prohibits lapping," Barragán-Scott said. "Canceling a contract is not an action the state takes lightly.  But it is an action that was necessary in this instance."

Vyrostek and a relative were originally named as co-agents of the office in May of 2005, and Vyrostek had been the sole agent since December of 2009 when she submitted the only bid to run the office.  The Office of Administration will issue a Request for Proposal on Thursday to ask for new bidders to operate the office.  According to figures from Fiscal Year 2009, the Gallatin office conducted 12,195 transactions and charged $40,396 in agent processing fees.

There are several other area license offices where customers can go to conduct transactions.  The offices, their addresses, phone numbers, and operating hours are:

Bethany - 3105 Miller, (660) 425-3117, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Last Saturday of the month, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Last two business days of the month, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Cameron - 217 N. Chestnut, (816) 632-4830, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon.

Chillicothe - 730 S. Washington, (660) 646-5418, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Last four business days of the month, 8:30 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m.

Kingston - 49 E. Main St., (816) 586-3851, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Closed for lunch, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Maysville - 104 W. Main St., (816) 449-5252, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Closed for lunch (Monday through Friday), Noon to 1 p.m.

Trenton - 617 Main St., (660) 359-4324, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A list of all local license offices is available at http://dor.mo.gov/offloc/.  Citizens with questions about driver license transactions may call (573) 751-4600, and questions about license plate renewal or other motor vehicle-related transactions can be answered by calling (573) 526-3669.  Many questions can also be answered by going to the Department's website at www.dor.mo.gov.

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